Hiring domestic workers
Last updated on January 31, 2024A domestic worker works in a private home. They provide services like child care, cooking and cleaning. If you hire a domestic worker, you become an employer.
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Register a domestic worker
Employers must register domestic workers with the Employment Standards Branch within 30 days of hiring them. Live-in home support workers, night attendants, residential care workers and sitters don’t count as domestic workers.
An employer can hire a domestic worker directly or through a licensed employment agency or licensed foreign worker recruiter.
Hiring a foreign worker
If you hire a foreign worker, you need to follow the rules.
Employers must register with the provincial government if they intend to hire foreign workers through the following federal programs:
- Temporary Foreign Worker Program
- Home Child Care Provider or Home Support Worker pilot programs
- Other programs that require a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
Hiring a temporary foreign worker without a certificate of registration is against the law in B.C.
Employers that use a recruiter to hire a foreign worker must make sure the recruiter is licensed.
Room and board
Employers can charge domestic workers up to $325 per month for room and board, if allowed by federal requirements. The employee must agree in writing before any deductions can be taken from their pay.
If you provide accommodation to a domestic worker, you may become a landlord. Make sure you understand and follow B.C.'s residential tenancy laws.
Employment contracts must be in writing
Both the employer and the domestic worker must sign an employment contract.
The contract must include the domestic worker's
- Work duties
- Hours of work
- Wage and payment schedule
- Charges for room and board, if allowed
You don't need to give a copy of this contract to the Employment Standards Branch.
After work begins
If you hire a domestic worker, you must follow all B.C. employment standards. If you don't, the Employment Standards Branch can investigate and fine you up to $10,000.
You also need to
- Meet the federal requirements for hiring live-in caregivers
- Follow the rules for hiring foreign workers
- Make any required federal payroll deductions like income tax, Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance premiums
- Meet WorkSafeBC requirements
Hours of work
Employers create schedules for employees based on the standards for hours of work.
If a domestic worker is asked to work outside their normal schedule, their employer must pay for that time.
Annual vacation
Employers can choose when domestic workers take their annual vacation.
If the domestic worker goes on a trip with the employer or works at home while the employer is away, it doesn't count as vacation. Employers must pay domestic workers for any time worked while on vacation.
Keeping current records
Employers must notify the Employment Standards Branch by email at EmploymentStandards@esb.gov.bc.ca if
- Their contact information changes
- A domestic worker's phone number changes
- They no longer employ a domestic worker
What you can do
If your employer isn't treating you right, see which government agencies can help.
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is when a person
- Is forced to work or provide services they do not want to do
- Works for little or no pay under poor conditions
- No longer has access to their passport or identification
- Has restrictions on where they can go and what they can do
Human trafficking is a crime. Report it right away.
If you're having issues at work, find out what you can do.
References from the Employment Standards Act and Regulation